GERD

On Sunday, the realization finally hit me that I DO have to return to work in two weeks. I simply could not imagine leaving Spencer with a stranger. They don't know that he needs constant attention and can't just be fed and laid down. He has to be kept upright after eating, he has to be watched carefully for the never ending spit up draining from his mouth. This stranger has no idea on how to console him when his tummy is aching and he is crying for hours.

With this realization, I finally broke down and went to the pediatrician regarding Spencer's constant spitting and throwing up. The doctor diagnosed him with having GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease). While this seems innocent enough, we all have a little reflux right? Well, let me put this in perspective for everyone. I calculated how much formula he actually took in for a 24 hour period and that was 35 ounces. For his weight, he should be taking in 22-24 ounces a day. If he had been keeping down the 22-24 ounces he was needing, his weight would be better, but he wasn't. He was throwing up probably close to half of what he ingested each day. Because he wasn't keeping food down, he was hungry all the time and thus he would not sleep. So, a little reflux can cause bigger problems for little tummies.

He will be on medication for the next 3-4 months and he must take rice cereal with his bottle now. We began this regime last night and for the very first time he ate and nothing came back up. He didn't writhe in pain after eating and he slept soundly and peacefully. I am hopeful that this will help his little tummy and we can both progress towards enjoying each other instead of the constant crying.

So, I do go back to work in a little less than two weeks and it does remind me how thankful that this is the only thing wrong with him. I will go back to testing 6 week old babies for leukemia and other pathological genetic mutations. I will go back knowing that at the end of the day, some of them will not make it. They won't even be given the chance to just have a little reflux. Think about it.